Description

The west end of the trail begins roughly 0.5 miles down the Point Ann Trail from the homestead parking area. Turning right, users are led through a restored savanna and prairie landscape on a wide and gently rolling trail.

Just before connecting with the Chinquapin Ridge Trail, the route dips slightly into a patch of woods. This is the only significant hill on the route, and is only uphill if you're going east to west.

Flora & Fauna

Savannas are characterized by widely-spaced oak trees with an assortment of prairie plants underneath. Stretches of the Bluebird Trail are excellent examples of this largely vanished ecosystem, but only in its fledgling stages—many of the oaks have years to go before they reach the stately, old-and-open grown appearance with which savannas are traditionally associated.

The prairie grasses are tall, and in high summer coneflowers provide a splash of color amongst the sea of green. Blackberries line the trail in July and August, ready and perfect for snacking.

An abundance of deer—too many, in fact—means any run of significant length will lead to two or three of them flushed from the brush. The proximity of the Mississippi flyway means the Bluebird Trail, where the canopy is wide open, treats users to an array of bald eagles at all times of year, along with many other birds of prey during migration season.